Biased Partition

Dusk!

Beyond the slanting sunset, ten thousand white gulls dotted the sky, while flowing water wound around the mountain village.

The assessment had ended that morning. The students had the day off, and many chose to leave the Martial Hall and return home.

For the past six months, the Martial Hall had required them to practice boxing every day. Many students whose homes were in the villages below had not returned even once in those six months.

Lin Chen was returning to the village, as were Gu Fei and two other boys from the same village.

The four traveled home together, chatting and laughing along the way. Everyone had passed the assessment, and the pressure in their hearts was gone. Even Lin Chen found his steps growing lighter.

Once they entered the village, the villagers greeted the four of them one after another.

"You're back! How's the learning at the Martial Hall?"

"With you little bastards gone, our village has been a lot quieter."

At fourteen or fifteen, they were at the age for mischief and troublemaking. Back when Lin Chen and the others had been in the village, they had caused no small amount of havoc.

But after half a year at the Martial Hall, they had all matured considerably.

Learning martial arts at the Martial Hall represented not only hope, but pressure as well.

Pressure was what made a young man grow up fastest.

"Chenzi, want to come sit at my place?" Gu Fei asked.

"No, I'll head home first."

"Fine, then we'll meet at the village entrance tomorrow morning."

After parting with Gu Fei and going separate ways from the other two boys at the crossroads, Lin Chen did not linger and headed straight home.

His house stood at the end of the village, requiring him to cross most of it.

When he reached the gate, Lin Chen saw his mother drying fishing nets through the bamboo fence around the courtyard.

"Mother!" Lin Chen shouted.

"Chen'er?"

Mother Lin froze at first. Then she looked up through the fence at Lin Chen, her face lighting up with surprise.

"You really have grown taller! Your elder brother told me you'd grown a whole head taller, but I didn't believe him."

Having not seen her son for half a year, Mother Lin was overwhelmed as she looked at her younger son, who had already grown taller than her. She circled him excitedly.

Her eldest son, Lin Liang, had visited the Martial Hall several times, and each time he returned, he would tell her about her younger son.

"You've gotten a little thin." Mother Lin's heart ached for him.

Lin Chen smiled. "Mother, I'm growing right now, so of course I'll shoot up. Being thinner is normal. Our instructor said that in a few months, I'll fill out again. Is Father and Elder Brother working in the fields?"

"Your father and brother are watering the crops. Why did you come back today?"

"Mother, your son missed you."

"You only know how to say nice things to make your mother happy. If you really missed me, would you only come back once in half a year?"

Mother Lin was not fooled. Still, she was delighted by the change in her son. Before going to the Martial Hall, her younger son had been rather withdrawn. Who would have thought that after going there, he would not only seem brighter, but sweeter with his words too?

A sweet tongue was good. A sweet tongue would make it easier to find a wife in the future.

"Did you pass the Martial Hall assessment?"

"Mother, you really are brilliant beyond measure. You even guessed that."

Lin Chen laid on the flattery. Mother Lin said proudly, "I gave birth to you. How could I not know the little schemes in your belly? Since you passed the assessment, Grandfather should support your martial arts training. Tonight, Mother will speak to your grandfather about it. Go find your father in the fields, and tell him to buy a jug of wine at the village entrance on his way back. Your grandfather likes to drink."

"Alright. I'll go see whether Father and Elder Brother need help."

Lin Chen agreed, picked up the hoe from home, and headed toward their fields.

The father and two sons were happy to see each other for a while. Seeing that there was still a small patch of land left unwatered, Lin Chen helped carry water and finish irrigating it. They returned only after the work was done.

The three returned home, put down their farm tools, and headed toward the ancestral house behind them, where Grandfather lived.

The Lin Family had not yet split up. The entire family ate at the ancestral house.

"So that's why Younger Sister-in-law took the initiative to cook today. Chen'er is back." The woman sweeping the front courtyard saw Lin Chen enter and spoke with a smile.

"Second Aunt." Lin Chen greeted the woman sweeping the ground.

"You've grown quite a bit. You're nearly as tall as your father now." Second Aunt smiled as she looked Lin Chen over. Just as she was about to say something else, a little girl came in through the gate, clutching a greenish lump of mud in her hand.

"Oh my, didn't I tell you not to go near the chicken coop? You're even holding chicken droppings!"

Second Aunt could no longer sit still. She rushed over and knocked the chicken droppings from the little girl's hand. Yet the little girl only giggled nonstop. When her little eyes fell on Lin Chen, however, they revealed an unfamiliar look.

"Xi, you don't recognize your Fourth Brother anymore?"

"F-Fourth Brother."

His younger cousin Lin Xi had a habit: whenever she was thinking, she would unconsciously want to put a finger into her mouth and suck on it.

Babies had two or three pieces of candy for fingers. Babies liked sucking their fingers from a young age; some broke the habit as they grew older, while others kept it until they were five or six.

There were still chicken droppings on his younger cousin's hand. When she put her finger into her mouth, she received a vicious beating from Second Aunt. This time, she could no longer laugh and burst into tears.

Seeing his younger cousin beaten to tears, Lin Chen felt rather awkward, though this seemed to have nothing to do with him.

"Why are you crying at mealtime?"

An aged voice sounded. Grandfather Lin Chaoyang emerged from the main hall with his hands behind his back. When he saw Lin Chen, he paused for a moment, then called toward the kitchen, "Chen'er is back. Youngest Son's Wife, add two more eggs for Chen'er later, to build up his body."

"Thank you, Grandfather. Your grandson has completed six months at the Martial Hall." Lin Chen's words carried a hint of meaning.

"Six months of learning is enough. It doesn't matter if you were eliminated. You can farm properly from now on, and if you want to learn a trade, you can speak to your father." Grandfather wore a kindly expression. "In a few years, it will be time for you to take a wife."

"Father is in a hurry to hold a great-grandson. Unfortunately, Ming'er wants to practice martial arts, so he can only place his hopes on Huier and Chen'er."

First Aunt and Uncle entered through the gate at that moment. When First Aunt saw Lin Chen, she smiled. "Our Chen'er is quite handsome. He'll be able to marry a good wife."

"Elder Sister-in-law, my Chen'er didn't come back because he was eliminated. He passed the Martial Hall assessment and came back to tell everyone the good news."

Mother Lin came out of the kitchen. Hearing her elder sister-in-law's words, she felt displeased. What did she mean, unfortunately Ming'er wanted to practice martial arts? Her son could continue practicing martial arts too.

As soon as Mother Lin spoke, the main hall fell silent.

First Aunt and Second Aunt's mouths hung wide open, their faces full of shock. Only after a long while did Second Aunt react. "I remember the family never gave you any money. You still passed the assessment? Back then, when Lin Ming's strength reached two hundred jin, it cost three taels of silver."

"That just proves Chen'er has talent for martial arts. He'll definitely achieve something in the future."

Second Aunt's unconscious remark made Mother Lin beam with delight. Lin Chen noticed that First Aunt's face immediately darkened.

"That's not how it should be said. Back then, my Ming'er's strength reached two hundred jin in his fourth month at the Martial Hall. Chen'er only came back now, which means he only reached it this month. There's still quite a gap between them."

First Aunt's words made Lin Chen's mouth twitch. Give him three taels of silver, and he could reach two hundred jin of strength in four months too.

"Besides, even if Father did not give him money, Younger Sister-in-law might have. And over the past few months, Liang'er has been catching fewer and fewer eels."

The implication was that Mother Lin had secretly given him money.

"What do you mean by that, Elder Sister-in-law?" Mother Lin would not stand for it. With her hands on her hips, she said, "What do you mean, I gave him money? Every month, the family's money is handed over to Father. Where would I get money? How much could Liang'er earn from catching eels in a month? Could it compare with what the family spent on Lin Ming?"

"I'm only afraid that some people secretly earn money and refuse to hand it over. I never named anyone, so why are you feeling guilty?"

"You didn't name anyone, but weren't you talking about our family?"

"Enough. Stop arguing. Why are you quarreling in front of the younger generation?"

Grandfather spoke to rebuke them. His gaze fell on Lin Chen, and Lin Chen did not beat around the bush. "Grandfather, you said before that if your grandson could pass the Martial Hall assessment, the family would support his martial arts training."

"The family has to support a second person learning martial arts?"

Before Grandfather could answer, Second Aunt's voice was already filled with worry. Her Huier had not studied martial arts, and the family's money had all been spent on Lin Ming. If Lin Chen were added to the burden, would their family not be working solely for Eldest Brother's and Youngest Brother's families?

"Second Sister-in-law, Father promised this to Chen'er back then, and none of you objected." Mother Lin immediately retorted.

"I'm not opposed to Chen'er learning martial arts." Second Aunt explained, "I'm saying our family really does not have that much money. If Chen'er wants to learn martial arts, then in my view, a portion of the money given to Lin Ming each month should go to Chen'er."

In any case, there was only so much family money. Whether it went to Lin Ming or Lin Chen's training made no difference to her family.

"No!" First Aunt immediately refused. "Ming'er is at a critical stage in his martial arts training. He's about to cultivate Essence Energy, and this is precisely when he needs money. I heard Ming'er say that his fellow disciples receive four or five taels from their families every month. Ming'er knows our family does not have that much money, so he has never asked for more."

"Five taels of silver? Even if he dared ask for it, our family couldn't produce it." Mother Lin snorted. "It's not as though no one in the village practices martial arts. At most, they all give up after two years if they haven't cultivated Essence Energy. Only our family continues supporting him. If word gets out, other families will laugh at us."

"How would they laugh? Once Ming'er succeeds, he'll be the first person in our village in the past three years to cultivate Essence Energy. Even the fortune-teller said Ming'er is the Qilin Child of our Lin Family."

"If I gave the fortune-teller ten copper coins, he'd immediately change his tune and say Chen'er is our family's Qilin Child."

"Stop arguing." Grandfather cut off the quarrel between the two sisters-in-law with a dark expression. He looked at Father Lin. "Youngest Son, take Chen'er to see Master Zhang tomorrow. I'll give you half a string of cash to buy gifts and formally take him as a master. He can learn Bamboo Weaving from Master Zhang."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted. He had not expected Grandfather to refuse.

"Grandfather, your grandson wants to learn martial arts. I don't want to learn Bamboo Weaving." Lin Chen's attitude was equally firm.

"Foolish child, what does it matter even if you passed the Martial Hall assessment now? Martial arts training costs more and more money the further you go. Your elder brother has spent over forty taels so far. Even if you spend less, you'll still need twenty taels. The family spent all its money on your elder brother's martial arts training. Even if we wanted to borrow, we couldn't."

"Grandfather, your grandson won't need that much money."

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang shook his head. How much money martial arts training cost was not something one could decide merely by talking.

Ming'er had also said he would need only twenty taels, but he had already spent forty taels by now.

Three days ago, Ming'er had returned from the county town and said there was a Secret Medicine in the city. Once he took it, he could cultivate Essence Energy, but the Secret Medicine was very expensive, costing ten taels per dose.

The family's last bit of money had already been taken by Ming'er.

Once Ming'er cultivated Essence Energy, the family would still need to scrape together tuition for the martial arts school. By then, they might even have to mortgage the family's Land Deed to borrow money from the Money House.

They had already spent so much on Ming'er's martial arts training. They could not let him cultivate Essence Energy in the end, only to have no money for the martial arts school tuition.

"Father, when Lin Ming came back last time, did he find another excuse to ask for money?" Mother Lin seemed to realize something. Her gaze moved between Grandfather and First Aunt, but First Aunt did not dare meet her eyes.

Mother Lin understood. The family's money had likely all been taken by Lin Ming. She immediately said coldly, "If Father refuses to give money, then I'll borrow it."

"Younger Sister-in-law, don't be rash. Borrowed money has to be repaid." Second Aunt immediately objected. The Lin Family had not split up yet. If Third Sister-in-law borrowed money, their family would have to bear a share when the time came.

"If you're afraid the debt will be counted against your family, then split up the family!"

As soon as Mother Lin said this, silence fell once more. Second Aunt's eyes rolled around, and no one knew what she was thinking.

"Third Sister-in-law, how can you say such nonsense?" Uncle said with displeasure.

"What's wrong with what I said?" Mother Lin directly roared over Uncle's words. "Why is it that only your Lin Ming can learn martial arts, while our Chen'er cannot?"

"Isn't it because the family has no money?" Uncle said helplessly. "If there were money, Father would definitely let Chen'er learn martial arts."

"If there's no money, then borrow it. Otherwise, why should the money we earn be spent on Lin Ming, but when my Chen'er needs money to learn martial arts, your family refuses to shoulder the burden? Does your family get to take every good thing under heaven?"

Mother Lin's words left Uncle speechless. Seeing this, First Aunt interjected, "Third Sister-in-law, our family has already borrowed quite a lot of money. We can't borrow any more."

"Whether I can borrow it is my business. You don't need to concern yourselves with it. Just tell me whether your family will acknowledge this debt."

Mother Lin's gaze was sharp as she stared at First Aunt. First Aunt felt guilty and did not dare meet Mother Lin's eyes.

Lin Chen looked at his silent grandfather, then at First Aunt's guilty expression, and a self-mocking smile appeared on his face.

He understood now. First Aunt only wanted to suck his family dry, without bearing the cost of his martial arts training.

As for Grandfather, it was not merely sunk costs that made him let his eldest cousin continue martial arts training. He was truly playing favorites.

"Youngest Son, are you just going to let your wife speak like this?" Grandfather Lin Chaoyang frowned as he looked at Father Lin.

Father Lin pleaded, "Father, Chen'er wants to learn martial arts. Let him learn. If we borrow money, our family will repay it."

"What do you know? Learning martial arts is a bottomless pit. Do you think it only takes a few taels of silver? When the time comes, what will your family use to repay it?"

Lin Chaoyang bellowed, but Lin Chen could not help saying coldly, "So Eldest Cousin learning martial arts is not a bottomless pit? May I ask, Grandfather, am I to understand that only Eldest Cousin is your grandson?"

"You insolent wretch!"

Lin Chaoyang's face turned livid. "Youngest Son, is this the fine son you taught, speaking to me like this?"

"Don't talk about my husband and son." Mother Lin became like a lioness in a rage. "If a grandfather plays favorites, why should he expect the younger ones to be filial?"

"Actually, splitting up the family would be good. Chen'er wants to learn martial arts, so let Youngest Uncle's family figure it out themselves."

Second Aunt muttered softly from the side. Her family had also been bled dry by Lin Ming, and she had long wanted to split up the family.

Lin Chaoyang glared at his second daughter-in-law, then looked coldly at Mother Lin. "What if I refuse to split up the family?"

Mother Lin showed no fear. "Then I'll spread this family shame throughout the entire village. A grandfather can spend dozens of taels on his eldest grandson's martial arts training, yet refuse to give a single coin for his younger grandson's training. Let's see whose reputation is ruined. Let's see whether your precious eldest grandson can still hold his head high in the village!"

Those words struck Grandfather's weak spot.

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang's face turned livid, and his entire body trembled. He threatened, "If you split up the family, then none of the family fields will have anything to do with your family."

"We don't want them. We only want the two mu of land we cleared ourselves. Leave the Lin Family's land to your precious eldest grandson. Liang'er, Chen'er, let's go. This place is no longer our home."

Lin Chen gave Grandfather a deep look, then turned and silently followed behind his mother. Yet his elder brother Lin Liang suddenly spat a thick wad of phlegm onto the ground. Hatred filled his heart as well.

He had thought Grandfather let Lin Ming learn martial arts because Lin Ming was the eldest and had the advantage of beginning earlier. Without complaint or regret, he had caught eels and sent them to Uncle's family. Now it seemed that Grandfather only cared about Lin Ming.

What kind of grandsons were he and Brother Chen? Not even worth a fart.

"Liang'er, what are you doing?" Uncle's face darkened.

Lin Liang ignored him. Together with Lin Chen, one before and one behind, he supported their mother as they walked out through the courtyard gate.

"Father, your son has been unfilial." Watching his wife and sons leave, Father Lin did not hesitate before turning to follow them.

"Bastards, utter bastards!"

From within the old house came Grandfather's furious, exasperated voice, carrying far into the distance...